Gainesville, FL – Coming off one of the best season in Santa Fe College men’s basketball history, the Saints are starting from scratch in 2012-13, returning just one player from their Mid-Florida Conference championship squad.

The 2011-12 Saints finished 26-5 and advanced to the FCSAA State Final Four, garnering a #10 final national ranking. The lone player back is sophomore Roody St. Germain who appeared in just four games. St. Germain is an outstanding athlete who will be one of the best defenders and rebounders for SF.

The 2012-13 version of the Saints open the season on November 1 and 2 in the SF Tip-off Classic. On Thursday, November 1 they battle St. Thomas JV at 8:00 PM and on Friday, November 2 host Rise Academy (Philadelphia, PA) at 6:00 PM.

This year’s team features five transfers and seven freshman. The transfers are led by 5-10 guard Bobby Hunter. Hunter was the MVP of the NAIA II National Tournament as a member of the national championship team, Oregon Tech. He was also selected as a 1st Team All-American, the only freshman or sophomore on the 1st team. He averaged just over 20 points and five assists a game.

Also in the backcourt is Buchholz HS grad Chad Milliken, a 5-10 FR. His 3pt shooting and savvy play will be needed throughout the year. Adding fire power to the backcourt will be sharpshooter Pat Kearney 6-1, a transfer from St. John’s River State College, and 6-3 Deonte Moore, a transfer from Warner University.

Freshman guard Bruno Bogut, 6-4, from Zagreb, Croatia is rounding into playing shape after missing a month with knee tendonitis. Bogut has tremendous passing ability, and is a solid shooter. Up front, 6-5 Andrea Robinson will start in the post. Robinson is a physical player with high energy and raw offensive skills. Also in the post will be 6-8 Djordje Vidosavljevic, from Kursumlija, Serbia. SF is counting on him to continue to improve his strength and scoring ability inside.

Two other freshman forwards will contribute for the Saints, 6-7 Takija Knight and 6-5 Jordan Banks. Both are long, athletic players with good defense and rebounding abilities.

Head Coach Chris Mowry begins his 10th season with a 184-84 record, the most wins in the history of SF men’s basketball. He is realistic and optimistic when discussing the year ahead.

“It is an exciting time of year for our team as we open up the regular season this week,” said Mowry. “We will certainly be a team that needs to improve daily in practice throughout the year if we want to compete successfully in our conference. I like our team, we have a few players who can be really good for us, and we will continue to work hard to develop the chemistry, and intensity needed to be a competitive team every game.”